CNN: Starbucks responds to holiday cup controversy

I picked up my last Pumpkin Spice latte of the season yesterday and it was in a red cup. I thought to myself “Yep, it’s after Halloween.” In the back of my mind I also noticed it was just red which made me think of all of the travel mugs and real cups from ‘bux this year, which opted for a plain colored dot in place of the mermaid – made me think that the train was continuing.

Over the 24 hours, however, other people looked at the same cup and have proclaimed that Starbucks hates Jesus and/or Christmas.

My first reaction: what the fuck is wrong with you people that is a new story of any way shape or form?

Second reaction: please boycott – it will mean fewer people in my coffee lines.

Third reaction: are you telling me that you love Starbucks so much that you find a little bit of God in your cup?

Ultimate reaction: as a shareholder of SBUX, thank you all for the free press and the religious implications that the Messiah is found in coffee beans.

MSN: Are Starbucks’ ‘skinny’ drinks offensive? […] Much of the controversy focuses on the use of the term skinny to describe the fat- and sugar-free drink. One blogger, “SassySexyShapely,” questioned whether people should be offended by the word. As reported by Starbucks Gossip, one barista refused to use the term, calling it politically incorrect.

I’ll admit that I don’t always blog about critical issues. That I sometimes muse over things that other people might not be all that important… things that certainly aren’t life or death, but I still think they can be important to me. I don’t expect anyone to change because of them; I don’t expect anyone else to even care about them. That MSN picked up this story, it tells me that either it’s a really slow news day or there is a large group of people that really care that calling a drink “skinny” might be offensive to them…

And I say, with the utmost sincerity that I can muster: if this is the most important issue you have in your life, get the fuck off my planet.

I almost had an Episode this past Friday: I noticed that the local Ben Franklin had put up all of their Holiday decorations out. It wasn’t that it was because were in the beginning of November, mind; I had forgotten that Halloween had passed and we were in November. Yes, I’m that conditioned that I accept Halloween as the “official start” of the retail holiday season.

The good news is that Starbucks, which was lingering in an Autumn theme the last couple of weeks, transformed into its holiday mode this morning: everything was red and shiny and the Gingerbread Latte, Eggnog Latte, and Peppermint Latte are back on the menu board… as is a Chai Eggnog Latte, which just sounds wrong on very many levels…

Let the glugging begin!

KIROtv: A man armed with what appeared to be a grenade was shot at the new federal courthouse in Seattle during the noon hour on Monday, police said.

Rumor has it that they denied him a latte at Torrefazione or something. OK, maybe not, but they’re still reporting in the details. Besides, more than a couple of times, the reporters have jumped to the wrong conclusions – a number of times, the story is “A” on Monday morning and quietly modified to “B” by Tuesday morning. I guess I’m allowed to speculate on my own, if I want to.

Completely off topic, I’ve recently discovered the Matcha latte at selected Starbucks stands and all Seattle’s Best Coffee… tastes just like bubble tea when poured over ice – none of the local Starbucks stores have it, though, which is really pissing me off… SBC’s aren’t as numerous and the campus shops are closed on the weekends… especially because only Starbucks makes fraps and I want a Green Tea Frap; it’s a regular item in Japan.

That mermaid had better get to steppin’ and update her menu!

Spring has exploded in your local Starbucks. At least it has in mine. Color everywhere, most of it strawberry red. New drinks, too…
Continue reading Strawbucks? →

Had a pretty happy moment during tonight’s visit to Starbucks – I didn’t have to make a decision. I usually end up getting something different each time that I’m in there – which drives the Baristas nuts because I don’t have a “regular” drink like most regulars do – and that usually involves a bit of thought. Tonight, however, I was introduced to something new and entirely custom: an Almond White Mocha.
Continue reading Happy Starbucks Moment! →

And so begins the holiday season of 2003. Did I see my first Christmas set of decorations in the mall? Before Halloween, so that’s not it. Actually, just the passing of Halloween starts the retail shopping sale spree, but that doesn’t mark the start of the season either. First holiday commercial? Circuit City has started with a Jingle Bells playing POS hand scanner (that’s point of sale) but that doesn’t start it either. It’s actually quite simple: the Gingerbread Latte and Peppermint Mocha Latte are back at Starbucks for the next couple of months. In lieu of holiday inspired world peace, this’ll do quite nicely.

It’s been a while since I’ve had an update from the Mermaid’s Lair, but, well… it’s been boring lately. Granted I don’t spend as much time there as I used to, now that my manuscript is done, but the product line seems to be gotten stagnant lately… I think their malt-frap drinks were supposed to be the big release of the summer, but they didn’t *wow* me that much… It hasn’t been completely dead there, though – so what’s the latest from my local Starbucks?
Continue reading Starbucks Updates →

I think it’s getting high time to just slap a mermaid logo on the freakin’ site. I mean, it’s not that I work for Starbucks, but every fourth post seems to have something to do with the place… either a new drink, or a customer service thing, or god knows what – it just seems to be the center point of my happenings lately. Today, being a weekend day, I purposely kept as empty as I could, so I could “detox”; it’s been a really long week. I picked up my Jeep from the body shop, since some random drivers have hit the thing twice – both times in my own parking space at home! – and I wanted to do some up keep around the house (didn’t succeed, at all,) entertain my rabbit (lasted a half hour,) and work on my book some (started another chapter!)
Continue reading Twenty Minutes →